Mount Semeru: Highest Peak of Java Expedition
Standing at 3,676 m, Semeru is the third-highest active volcano in Indonesia, behind Kerinci of Sumatra and Rinjani of Lombok. Semeru is also affectionately known as The Great Mountain Mahameru.
I have no idea how the name Mahameru came to be. It is in Sanskrit. But the mountain did stir up some magic when we were on its summit.
Semeru is my fourth volcano in Indonesia, after Bromo and Ijen, which I climbed back in Feb 2017, and Rinjani back in Aug 2017. Volcano collection spree, aye?
Rinjani was my first multi-day volcano expedition. It was tough and downright demanding. We were too ambitious to think we could complete the 4D3N loop in three days. While we did not finish the loop, most of us still managed to catch the sunrise on the summit.
I first saw Semeru when I was standing from the peak of Bromo. Both volcanoes were born out of the same ancient volcano system and stood facing each other – Semeru towering Bromo.
Unlike Rinjani, Semeru is not a round trip. It is a summit hike which can be completed within two very tiring days but preferably spread over three. The scenery along the way more than makes up for the extended time. Camping by Lake Ranu Kumbolo to ambush the sunrise was what we planned for, on top of the summit, of course.
Day 1: Pre-Climb Day
Our group of six left Surabaya airport for Ranu Pane – a village that seemed to flourish because of Semeru. It is the starting point of the hike.
In theory, at least according to Google, the ride should take us six hours. But traffic jams pointed otherwise.
Lunch at a roadside eatery proved to be a challenging ordeal as no one there understood English. We might have starved if not for our driver and our Malaysian friend. Malaysia Boleh!
Medical Checkup
This was something unexpected! Unlike the previous Indonesian volcanoes, we had to have a mandatory checkup before climbing the mountain.
The whole procedure was absurd but compulsory. We waited for hours in a pharmacy to have some trivial measurements taken – verbal confirmation of our height and weight, and our blood pressure and blood oxygen measured with a couple of antique machines.
The Village – Ranu Pane
The air got foggier and colder as the van picked up altitude. It was not long before we had to cover our T-shirt-clad bodies with jackets and outer shells. I could see my breath! We travelled around the periphery of the ancient volcano system and saw…there it was – Bromo standing by itself in the sea of black sand.
It was dark by the time we settled down for our first night in Ranu Pane. Our guesthouse was adequate. Do not expect hot showers! Once the sun sets, the temperature dips. It felt too cold to shower, but everyone still did it, knowing that the next one would be three days later!
For dinner, it was Maggi mee or rice in the guesthouse. Kosong (empty) or topped with a fried egg. A roadside stall selling fried fritters and piping hot bakso saved the day.
Day 2: Trekking Day 1, from Ranu Pane to Kalimati
Ranu Pane under daylight was beautiful, as though the sun had sanitised the area. It felt nice and warm with the background choir of crowing roosters and humming insects.
What’s for breakfast? More Maggi!
Our guide, Eko, finally arrived and took us by surprise with his eloquent English, bohemian attire and youthful demeanour. What a contrast to everyone we have met thus far, and he is a local there!
First Checkpoint
We had so much fun chatting and trekking with Eko, who led us through the main gate to the National Park and pointed at the potato and cabbage plantations by the roadside.
The gravel road soon narrowed to a path into the forest. It took us another hour to reach the first checkpoint.
Lunch at Ranu Kumbolo
The fog thickened as the morning wore on. We crossed three checkpoints before exiting the forest.
What awaited us were the edges of Lake Ranu Kumbolo.
The fog had shrouded the lake and the valley, leaving us to guess its entirety from its circumference as we trekked.
We sat facing the lake with our lunch – Indo-style Spaghetti Bolognese – prepared by the ever-efficient porters and chef. The fog would lift periodically, throwing us glimpses of the lake before enshrouding it again. How infuriating.
The team fed us more food – watermelon and hot tea. Am I here to hike or to eat?
Kalimati
Post lunch, we trekked over a steep hill and into the savannah, cutely named the Oro-Oro Ombo grasslands.
The fog was a blessing in disguise as we crossed Oro-Oro Ombo. Imagine crossing the grasslands with no overhead shade to shield the sun’s poisonous rays.
It took us another couple of hours before we reached the base camp and our abode for the night – Kalimati.
Day 3: Trekking Day 2, the Summit
We rose at midnight for a pre-summit snack – delicious Kueh Lapis and tea – and set off before 1.30 AM. Timing is crucial here!
Forest covers a third of Mount Semeru. As we climbed, we saw shadows dancing at every corner. Light from the headlamps of all the trekkers combined lit a path towards the summit.
The soft soil grew dense, turned into gravel, gradually transitioned into soft powder, and finally into dust.
A chilling sign with the face of the Grim Reaper welcomed us near the edge of the forest.
Three Steps Up, Two Steps Down
Hiking when you are supposed to be sleeping tricks your brain into thinking you were dreaming.
That was how I felt throughout the whole ordeal. Unlike a dream, the reality was uncomfortable. How do you breathe the cold and dusty air through a blocked nose?
Three steps up, two steps down.
Those six words summarise the whole ordeal over the next three hours.
We zig-zagged like zombies up the loose scree, stomping over imprints left behind by previous trekkers.
After bouts of self-questioning and fatigue, we reached the summit in time for the perfect sunrise.
We were literally above the clouds!
Standing before us was the now diminutive Bromo.
How strange to face this volcano, whose peak I stood on a year ago, from this taller volcano, whom I first saw on that first volcano.
The crater from Mahameru rumbled and puffed out enormous smoke almost every 15 mins.
We began our descent an hour later when the sun was getting too hot.
Descend
Descending was so easy!
The loose scree, which was so annoying previously, was soft enough for us to walk down the steep volcano. And as we descended, the views we missed in the dark opened up before us. How equally mesmerising and terrifying to notice the beautiful and dangerous parts of the trek we have missed.
Milky Way at Ranu Kumbolo
We were back for a hearty brunch by ten, followed by a long nap in the gradually warmed tent.
There wasn’t much about that day as we traced our way back to Ranu Kumbolo and camped for the night.
Some campers chose to stay by the lake to marvel at the milky way. But this was nonexistent to us that night. We were anticipating a glorious milky way with the annual Perseid meteor shower. What awaited us were but a few bright isolated stars. Ironically, the wilderness was not wilderness enough, and the lake was too bright.
Day 4: Return
The sunrise over Ranu Kumbolo saved our disappointment from last night.
We could finally see the lake in its entirety! I suppose the best time to see the lake is at sunrise, without the fog and with the sun exactly between the cleavage of hills opposite us.
With the volcano and the lake checked, it was time to leave the park. Boohoo, how did time pass so fast?
Tumpak Sewu: A Missed
We returned to Ranu Pane for lunch and waited for our pickup to the last agenda of our itinerary – Tumpak Sewu – the best waterfall in East Java.
Unfortunately, a police cordon in the park almost derailed our plan. Our van could not pick us up on time for the waterfall and journey back to Surabaya airport.
In the end, Eko hired a pickup on the spot. We stood at the back of the pickup from the national park to the waterfall, passing through a town. It was a bumpy hour ride, but we had so much fun waving at all the curious onlookers.
Anticipation was running high for Tumpak Sewu. We have seen how majestic it was on the internet. A thousand waterfalls rushing into the hollow. It is time to see it in real life.
But the fog, again, foiled our plan. All we saw were glimpses of the falls. The breathtaking scenery we had in mind turned out to be a huge mist.
We left the area in the van and into another terrible congestion towards the airport. Life in the city sure is tough, but the plane could wait before our dinner – assorted fried seafood and milkshakes.
Ending
I enjoyed climbing Mount Semeru! Maybe it was the weather, the smaller group, the overall fitness level, or our bestest of best guide Eko.
Post climbing, most of us flew back to Singapore on the morning flight the next day, while a couple decided to visit Omah Kayu – wooden tree houses – at Batu.
Word of warning! Always double-check your Grab or private taxi reservation towards the airport with the concierge hours before! If not you would end up like this friend who missed the last flight back to Singapore.
And there it goes. Another eventful hike up one of the top ten active volcanoes in Indonesia. Kerinci next time, maybe?
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2 Comments
Charlie
Hi Roo, was wondering what kind of travel insurance did you get for this trip ? is it considered risky sports activities ?
Roo
Hey Charlie, I bought an annual travel insurance under FWD – they cover up to 3000m for hiking. Semeru is >3000m, but we were below 3000m most of the time.